Driving Tests

Maine 70-Hour Driving Log: Night Hours and Who Can Sign

informational·how to guide·Published May 17, 2026

How many practice hours do you need with a Maine learner's permit?

If you are under 21, you need at least 70 hours of driving, 10 of them at night, before you can apply for a Maine license, and 6 months must pass from the date your learner's permit was issued. The driver beside you must be at least 20 and licensed for at least 2 years. A parent, stepparent, guardian, spouse or employer certifies the log.

Where the Maine driving log rules come from

The 70-hour log and the 6-month wait are in Maine law (Title 29-A, section 1304), which also sets the rules for the driver who rides with you. The signing options for a spouse or employer come from Maine law (Title 29-A, section 1302), and the juvenile provisional license comes from Title 29-A, section 2472. The rules for drivers under 18 come from sections 1311 and 1351, and the adult provisional license from section 2471. This guide is current as of 2026. Confirm the rules with the Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles (maine.gov/sos/bmv) before you drive.

Do you need the Maine driving log at your age?

Do you need the Maine driving log at your age?
Your age	Driving log and 6-month wait?	What else applies
Under 18	Yes. 70 hours, 10 at night, and 6 months on the permit.	You must complete a driver education course before you apply for the permit, and you need the course completion certificate for a license. After you get your license, the intermediate license rules apply.
18, 19 or 20	Yes. The rule covers every person under 21, so turning 18 does not end it.	Your license is a juvenile provisional license for 2 years from the issue date, or until you turn 21, whichever comes last.
21 or older	No. Both rules apply only to drivers under 21, and you do not have to submit certification of driving time to the Secretary of State.	A first license is an adult provisional license for one year.

How the 70 hours and 10 night hours add up

The 10 night hours are part of the 70, not extra: the law asks for a minimum of 70 hours of driving, including 10 hours of night driving. An hour counts only when you drive with a parent, a guardian or a licensed driver who is at least 20 years old. Finish all 70 hours before you apply, because a driver under 21 may not apply for a Maine license until the hours are done.

Who can ride with you while you practice

While you drive on your permit, a licensed operator must be in the car with you. That person must be at least 20 years old and must have held a valid license for at least 2 years.
The supervising driver must sit in a seat beside you.
The supervising driver must be licensed for the class of vehicle you drive.
These rules apply to every person who rides with you for the log, also a parent or a guardian. You can practice with more than one supervising driver. The guide to the Maine learner's permit rules covers the other permit rules.

Who can certify your driving log

You have a parent, stepparent or guardian

That person can certify your driving time on a form that the Secretary of State prescribes.

You have a spouse

Your spouse can certify the log. For a minor, Maine law (Title 29-A, section 1302) requires the spouse to be at least 18.

You are a minor with no parent, guardian or spouse who is at least 18

Your employer can certify the log if the employer is at least 18 (section 1302).

The person who certifies did not ride with you

That person must give the name and address of the licensed driver who rode with you for most of the 70 hours.

You are at least 18 and have no parent, stepparent, guardian, spouse or employer

The Secretary of State may complete the certification for you. You must give the name and address of the licensed driver who rode with you for most of the 70 hours.

The 6-month wait on your permit

If you are under 21, 6 months must pass from the date your learner's permit was issued before you can apply for a license. The 6 months and the 70 hours are separate conditions, and you need both, so finishing the hours early does not shorten the wait. You can apply for a learner's permit at 15, and the permit is valid for 2 years, so you have time to spread the hours out.

What changes if you are under 18

A driver under 18 also needs a course completion certificate before a Maine license is issued. Once you have the license, the intermediate license rules apply for 270 days from the issue date, and a violation adds another 270 days. During that time you may not drive between 12 a.m. and 5 a.m. The guide to the Maine intermediate license rules explains the restrictions in full.

How to plan your 70 hours

1
Note your permit issue date
Add 6 months to it. That is the earliest date you can apply for a license.
2
Choose your supervising drivers
Each person who rides with you must be at least 20, have held a valid license for at least 2 years, be licensed for the vehicle you drive and sit beside you.
3
Log at least 70 hours
Drive at least 70 hours in total, with at least 10 of them at night. Note each drive and who rode with you: if the person who certifies did not ride with you, that person must name the driver who rode with you for most of the hours.
4
Choose who certifies
Ask the BMV for the current certification form. A parent, stepparent, guardian, spouse or employer certifies your driving time on it.
5
Apply when both conditions are met
When 6 months have passed and the certified log shows at least 70 hours, you can apply for your license. A driver under 18 also needs the course completion certificate.

Key takeaways

A driver under 21 needs 70 hours of driving, 10 of them at night, before applying for a Maine license.
6 months must also pass from the date your learner's permit was issued. Age 18 does not end the rule: it applies until you turn 21.
The hours are driven with a parent, a guardian or a licensed driver who is at least 20. While you drive on your permit, that driver must also have held a license for 2 years and sit beside you.
A parent, stepparent, guardian, spouse or employer certifies the log. The Secretary of State may do it only for an applicant who is at least 18 and has none of them.
Next step: practice the rules of the road on the free Maine Class C permit practice test.

Maine driving log: common questions

Does a 19-year-old in Maine need the 70-hour log?

Yes. The rule covers every person under 21, so a 19-year-old must finish the 70 hours, with 10 at night, and wait 6 months from the permit date. Only a person who is 21 or older does not submit certification of driving time.

Can my parent sign my log if another driver rode with me?

Yes. A parent, stepparent, guardian, spouse or employer who certifies the log and was not the licensed driver beside you must give the name and address of the licensed driver who rode with you for most of the 70 hours. So write down who rode with you on each drive.

Can my stepparent sign my Maine driving log?

Yes. The law for the log lists a parent, stepparent or guardian as people who can certify your driving time on the form that the Secretary of State prescribes. A spouse or an employer can also certify it, under the conditions of section 1302.

Is it a crime to supervise a Maine permit driver after drinking?

Yes, when the supervising driver is impaired. Maine law makes it a Class E crime to accompany a permit holder who drives on a public way if your mental or physical functioning is impaired by alcohol or drugs. This applies to a parent too, so a supervisor who is impaired must not take the seat beside the learner.

Can I practice the permit questions for free?

Yes. Our free question page on permit holders under 21 checks the 6-month wait and the 70 supervised hours. Our practice tests and question pages are free and in English only. They are practice questions, not the questions of the real BMV test.